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Sunday, May 4, 2014

Child of Light Review: A Storybook Combined With A RPG

It is always a pleasant surprise when a
game comes out that is different from the usual “play by the rules”
games that are released on a regular basis. More often than not,
these unique gems come from an independent developer that has no
association with any big company. Although once in a blue moon, one
of the big AAA developers will come up with something that will turn
heads. This is the case with Child of Light, developed by none other
than Ubisoft.

To be honest, the fact that Child of
Light was made by Ubisoft caught me off guard when I first heard
about the game. A turn based RPG with a story borrowing elements
from fairy tales, doesn't seem like the kind of game you'd expect to
see come out of Ubisoft. Yet instead of another Rayman, Far Cry, or
Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft decided to go with a project that is
certainly one of the more memorable games of 2014 so far.

Child of Light is about a young girl
named Aurora, whom wakes up in a world known as Lemuria. She seeks
to find a way home, but first she must defeat the Queen of the Night
and release the sun, the moon, and the stars from captivity so that
light may be restored to the land. From the beginning to end, one
can see that fairy tales were a source of inspiration for Child of
Light. Although, the game could have gone without the lyrical rhyme
that characters speak with. It is a nice touch in some parts, but it
feels forced most of the time.

The most unique thing about Child of
Light would be its graphics. Child of Light was designed to look
like illustrations out of a storybook, and Ubisoft really succeeded
in doing this. Every environment and character feels like they were
drawn and painted by hand, and each corner of Lemuria is filled with
vibrant color and imagery. A great deal of thought and effort went
into creating Lemuria, and that attention to detail shines radiantly
throughout the game.

Child of Light plays like a platformer
mixed with a turn based JRPG. While it is an unusual combination,
most of the experience is well polished. Throughout the game, you'll
navigate across Lemuria as you fight monsters and open treasure
chests. When you encounter a monster, you are transported to a
battle stage where the turn based combat kicks in. Although Child of
Light is turn based, there is an element of real time because of the
cast time each particular ability has. With this system, you are
able to interrupt an enemy's action and keep them from attacking.
This also can be used against you, requiring some basic amount of
strategy in battle.

Child of Light has several other
staples from RPGs, including a skill tree and the ability to craft
gems (AKA occuli) and equip them to get a variety of special effects
applied to your characters. While these are nice additions, the
skill trees don't feel particularly varied for some characters and
are more or less a linear path of general stat upgrades. Even the
platforming and minor puzzle solving segments of Child of Light feel
like they are conforming to some conventional genre standards,
including some very frustrating timed puzzles where you have to reach
a door before it closes.

RPG elements aside, one of Child of
Light's more unique gameplay features takes the form of the firefly
accompanying Aurora. Igniculus, the firefly, can use his light to
open particular treasure chests, heal, and even temporarily blind
enemies in order to slow them. While Igniculus can be controlled by
one player, there is the option to have him be operated by a second
player. While the second player will mostly just be healing you or
activating various objects throughout Lemuria, it is a good
opportunity to play the game and experience the story with a friend.

While Child of Light is certainly not a
long game by RPG standards, it is fun while it lasts. Child of Light
depicts a fantasy world filled with dreamlike places and creatures
that will capture the player's imagination from beginning to end. If
you are into RPGs and are looking for something that stands out among
the crowd, then Child of Light is certainly worth picking up.